Increase in Productivity by Fertigation Technique in Coconut

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at experimental farm, Regional Coconut Research Station, Bhatye, Ratnagiri during the year 2006 to 2013, with four replications and six treatments viz. T₁- control (No fertilizer), T₂ - 25% of recommended dose of NPK through drip, T₃ - 50% of recommended dose of NPK through drip, T₄ - 75 % of recommended dose of NPK through drip, T₅ - 100% of recommended dose of NPK through drip, T₆ - 100% of recommended dose as soil application. The fertilizer doses were applied through drip from October to May in eight equal splits in treatments T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅. There were no significant differences among the treatments for pretreatment as well as transit period yield. However increase in nut yield during transit period over pretreatment yield was recorded during 2006 – 2008. It was observed that the treatment T₅ recorded significantly highest yield of 113.78 nuts per palm and significantly superior over all treatments. Further, it was observed that mean yield of four years when compared with pre treatment yield, percent increase was maximum in Treatment T (33%). Economic analysis of fertilizer application revealed that treatment T (100% RDF through drip system) recorded highest net returns (Rs. 108090 ha^-1). Also it was observed that there was increase in NPK content of soil due to fertigation treatment.